1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to a spreader boom on a crop spreader, and more particularly to a spreader nozzle light on the spreader boom.
2. Description of Related Art
The high crop yields of modern agribusiness require application of fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. Dispersing these chemicals onto high acreage fields requires specialized machines mounted on or towed by a vehicle. An example of such a machine is the self-propelled crop spreader.
A common design for a self-propelled crop spreader includes a dedicated chassis with a material hopper, boom arms, and spreader nozzles connected to the boom arms. The hopper contains granular material such as fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides to be spread on agricultural crops in the field. Boom arms extend outward from the sides of the chassis. Boom plumbing contains supply lines and a plurality of nozzles spaced apart along the length of the boom arms at a standard spacing distance which corresponds to the spread pattern of the nozzles. In operation, as the crop spreader crosses the field, granular material is pneumatically applied from the tank through the supply lines along the boom arms, and out through the nozzles. This allows the crop spreader to distribute the granular material along a relatively wide path. The length of conventional boom arms may vary from, for example, 6 meters (18 feet) up to 46 meters (150 feet), but smaller or longer booms are possible. The boom arms typically swing in for transport and out for operation.
In some situations it would be desirable to illuminate a spread pattern of the granular material. For example, a farmer may apply a granular fertilizer at night and may desire to illuminate the applied fertilizer's spread pattern to allow the farmer to view where the fertilizer is being deposited. In addition, illuminating the spread pattern may allow the farmer to notice if a spreader nozzle is blocked or otherwise not spreading the granular material. It would therefore be advantageous to have spreader nozzles lights on the boom arms of the crop spreader.